Mental Health First Aid-Freeport

The training materials for this class have been developed specifically for Law Enforcement and will be taught by an experienced law enforcement officer.

WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID?

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an in-person training designed to teach participants how to help an individual experiencing a mental health issue and/or crisis using “officer safety” practices.

Training geared to the public safety genre using films, scenarios, and policy & procedures connected to the field.

Discussion involving “on the job” scenarios and “off the job” situations that connects to all of us as individuals.

MHFA is a national public education program managed and coordinated by the National Council for Behavioral Health, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Missouri Department of Mental Health.

The MHFA program teaches participants to recognize the signs and symptoms of behavioral health issues and tools and techniques for administering early support and crisis intervention. The goal of the MHFA program is to make responding to a mental health crisis as common as utilizing CPR in a cardiac emergency.

While participants are not taught to assume the role of a mental health professional, they do learn to effectively communicate with individuals experiencing a mental health crisis and guide them to appropriate professional help. Training will be provided by certified MHFA instructors with a background in public safety.

Upon completion of this 8-hour training program, participants receive a Mental Health First Aid certificate, a 3-year certification and program manual.

Skills Learned:                                                                        

Mental Health Signs and Symptoms - Risk Assessment - Intervention Strategies - Communication Skills - Referral for Professional Help Approaches                                      

Participants Include:

Administration - Police/Deputy - Corrections - Dispatch - Auxiliary Staff - Support Staff - First Responders - Animal Control Personnel - Government Inspectors

LUNCH IS PROVIDED

REGISTRATION:  All registrations are received on the MTU#1 website.  Find Registration instructions here 

THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC MEETING

NAMI of the Sauk Valley is offering MTU1 police agencies reimbursement to cover OT costs for officers to attend this class. Pre-arrangement for reimbursement must be made and reimbursement will occur after the officer attends the class. This reimbursement agreement is between NAMI of the Sauk Valley and the police agency.

MTU1 is only making agencies aware of the opportunity and will not be involved in the reimbursement process.

To qualify for the reimbursement an agency must be an MTU1 member agency & demonstrate the need for reimbursement in order to attend

Contact MTU1 if you meet the criteria and want more information.

The Primary Instructor, Barry Groesch, has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northern Illinois University and is a retired law enforcement Sergeant with 30 years’ experience.  He has been a basic adult instructor for Mental Health First Aid since 2011 teaching over 90 classes and administrating over 400 adult Mental Health First Aid classes.  He has also been a speaker at the national conference for Mental Health First Aid discussing how to facilitate the curriculum to the community.  Barry is also a trainer for Youth Mental Health First Aid, Public Safety Mental Health First Aid, Mental Health First Aid for Older Adults, and Higher Education Mental Health First Aid.  He has taught over 50 classes of BASSET, (Beverage Alcohol Seller Server Educational Training) to bartenders, waiters and waitresses.